Differences in symptoms and presentation delay times in myocardial infarction patients with and without diabetes: A cross-sectional study in Pakistan.

Objective: A short pre-hospital delay, from the onset of symptoms to rapid initiation of reperfusion therapy, is a crucial factor in determining prognosis of myocardial infarction (MI). The purpose of this study was to evaluate symptoms and presentation delay times in MI patients with and without diabetes.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 3 tertiary care hospitals of Pakistan over a period of 6 months. The study sample consisted of 280 consenting individuals diagnosed with ST-elevation MI (STEMI) or Non-ST elevation MI (NSTEMI), out of which 130 were diabetic and 150 were non-diabetic. Data was collected using a standardized questionnaire, investigating MI symptoms along with causes and duration of pre-hospital delay within 72hours of admission.

Results: No significant difference was found in the intensity of chest pain between diabetics and non-diabetics. Atypical symptoms of MI such as anxiety (p<0.001), cold sweats (p=0.034) and epigastric pain (p=0.017) were more frequently reported in diabetics. MI patients with diabetes had a significantly longer presentation delay time with 75% of the patients presenting after elapse of 3h. Only a few patients reported to the hospital within an hour of onset of symptoms (n=23, 8.2%), out of which majority were non-diabetics (n=18). A majority of patients (n=146, 52%) in both groups did not use emergency medical services.

Conclusion: This study provides an incentive for further research, aiming to reduce pre hospital delay along with investigating the effectiveness of emergency medical services.